


Solipsism

by Lookatallmyships



Category: Heaven Looks a Lot Like the Mall - Wendy Mass
Genre: Canon Continuation, F/M, Hospitals, Post-Canon, Pre-Het, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-06
Updated: 2020-11-06
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:08:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 744
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27413239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lookatallmyships/pseuds/Lookatallmyships
Summary: I re-read this book yesterday, and I found myself wondering where Tessa and Nail Boy's relationship will go once they leave the hospital. This is just a short 'what if'.
Relationships: Tessa/Nail Boy





	Solipsism

**Author's Note:**

> This book got mixed reviews on Goodreads, but I thought it was enjoyable.

They wind up making me stay at the hospital for two more days. Despite being fully healed, no one wants to take any risks when it comes to head injuries.

Before all this I would have thought that being stuck in the hospital would be boring, but I’m too grateful for being awake to care.

Mom and Dad and Matt come back the next morning. Matt still doesn’t come out and say it, in that way that brothers and sisters can’t admit that maybe they care about each other, but he sneaks in a box of jolly ranchers and tells me not to tell mom.

I’m pretty sure she’d let it go even if she knew, but I figure there’s no reason to tempt fate.

Matt and my parents came back the next morning, the day after I woke up. There were more tearful hugs and promises of things we’ll do together as a family. For the first time in a while, I’m actually excited.

They were going to eat whatever could be scrounged up at the hospital cafeteria, but I managed to convince them that I’d be fine for the couple hours it will take them to go home and freshen up. Mom isn’t making Matt go to school tomorrow, but he still has to do his homework so he can turn it in when he does go back.

I’m finishing up my lunch which my parents smuggled in from Panda Express before they left as a surprise before, when Nail Boy comes walking in. He still has the bandage on his head, but his color looks better than the last time I saw him.

He stands in the doorway and smiles at me. “Someone should have told me there was a take-out order going around.”

I laugh. “My parents are so grateful I didn’t die, that they’ve decided to spoil me. If only I had known that all it would take was getting nailed in the head with a dodgeball...”

I gesture for him to come all the way in, and he takes the uncomfortable looking chair next to my bed.

I toss him a disposable fork that still wrapped in plastic. “Here, they went a little overboard. Help yourself.” With the hand not holding my orange chicken, I gesture down at the array of food on my hospital table.

Nail Boy grins and grabs a container of chicken lomein. I’m impressed, that would have been my first choice too. After the orange chicken of course.

“So how long are they keeping you?”

He shrugs around a mouthful of lomein noodles. “Should he just a couple more days. They want to make sure the bleeding doesn’t start up again.”

It suddenly hits me that we both have similar injuries- his due to action and mine due to inaction. I wonder what that says about me. I wonder what that says about him.

“So your brother seems cool.”

I roll my eyes, and he laughs. “You wouldn’t be the first person to think so.”

“Just for the record, I think you’re cooler.”

I look up at him in surprise but he’s staring down at his lomein. I smile.

We eat in silence for a couple minutes before I sigh. “What happens now?”

Nail Boy shrugs. “I suppose that’s up to you. What do you want to happen now?”

Introspection has never been my greatest strength. I’ve been doing more of it in the last however long it’s been since I was hit with that dodgeball than I have throughout the entire rest of my life.

“Tell me your name."

Nail Boy’s face suddenly reddens, and I wonder why that of all questions would make him feel embarrassed.

“It’s Connor. You’re Tessa, right?”

I look at him suspiciously and he shrugs.

“I read your sheet” he points to the skip board attached to the end of my bed. I wonder if it’s supposed to stay there, or if someone forgot to collect it after I woke up.

Connor. I’m not sure why, but it suits him. Better than Nail Boy anyway. I’m still reeling a little from my near-death experience and my head is a little fuzzy, but I know that I don’t want this boy to leave yet.

I set down my empty tray and wiggle around on the bed until I find a more comfortable position and then say the only think I can think of.

“Have you ever heard of solipsism?”

**Author's Note:**

> I decided to call him Connor since he needed a name.


End file.
